Cleats



Dec. 10, 1963 F. VON OPEL 3,113,545

CLEATS Filed March 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG].

k |NVENTOR= 3,.ll35 i Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,545 CLEATS Fritz von (Epel, Chalet Opel, St. Moritz, Switzerland Filed Mini. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 179,333 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 24, 1961 9 Claims. ((11. 114218) The present invention relates to a cleat, such as may be used in a sailing vessel for temporarily securing a rope such as a sheet, and relates more particularly to a cleat assembly comprising a jam cleat, i.e., a cleat composed of two parts at least one or" which can turn eccentn'cally and between which a rope can be placed and firmly secured by its own tension, which causes the rotatable part or parts to turn and close the gap therebetween, thus jamming the rope.

in cleats of this typethe release of the jammed rope is accomplished by pulling the rope back against its own tension and at the same time lifting the rope out of and away from the cleat. This releasing action thus requires not only a force greater than the already existing tension but also a definite direction of pull approximately perpendicular to the cleat and away from it.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a cleat assembly which comprises a jam cleat hinged to a securing plate enabling the cleat to be tilted forward to release a rope secured therein.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a cleat assembly, which permits the release therefrom of a jammed rope with much less elfort than from a rigidly secured jam cleat. Preferably the hinged jam ole-at is retained by a trigger mechanism which can be actuated either by hand, or by means of a line attached to the trigger mechanism or by means of the free end of the rope itself slung around the trigger. in addition by adding a small trigger actuating device to the trigger the release can be made fully automatic, the automatic action being effected by a predetermined amount of heel of the vessel.

With these and other obj cts in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connec- L on with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a cleat assembly according to one embodiment of .the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cleat assembly of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the assembly of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, :a. cleat assembly comprises a jam cleat secured to a cleat plate 1 which is pivoted by a hinge 5 to a securing base plate 6 serving to secure the cheat assembly to a vessel. For this purpose the base plate 6 may be provided with screw holes (not shown. The jam cleat comprises a pair of eccentric parts 2 rotatable on pins 3 upstanding from and perpendicular to the plate 1, only one of the parts 2 and pins 3 being visible in the drawing. The dnawing shows a rope jammed between eccentrically arranged rope-engaging surfaces of the cleat parts 2. The cle-at is normally prevented from pivoting about the hinge 5 by a trigger lever 8 pivoted by a hinge 7 to the securing base plate 6 and having a projection 9 engaging the end of the cleat plate 1. To release the rope 4 from the cleat, the trigger lever 8 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, as indicated by an arrow, which allows the jam oleat ll, 2, 3, to pivot about the hinge 5 in a clockwise direction under the influence of the tension in the rope, as also indicated by arrows. The rope 6 can then pull itself free from the cleat.

For automatically releasing the rope 4 from the cleat,

should the vessel heel over more than a predetermined amount, there is provided a lever 16' pivoted by a hinge 11 to the trigger lever 8, the lever 18 having a small weight 12 at its free end. The normal angular position of the lever 10 relative to the trigger lever S is adjustable by a thumbs'crew 13. Should the vessel heel over through an angle greater than an angle predetermined by the adjusting screw 13, the force of gravity acting on the weight 12 causes the lever 10 to turn anti-clockwise, as shown by the arrow, until the lever projection 14 engages the trigger lever 8 and releases the projection 9 from the cleat plate 1, thus allowing the rope 4 to free itself from the cleat.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, a jam cleat 2d comprises a pair of eccentric members 21 mounted by screws 22 on a cleat plate 23 for rotation about axes perpendicular to the cleat plate. Each eccentric member Zll is provided with a toothed rope-engaging periphery 24 which is generally arcuate and eccentric to the pivotal axis defined by the screws 22. As seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the upper eccentric member 221 is spring biased in an anti-clockwise direction and the lower member 21 in a clockwise direction towards the positions shown. The springs creating this bias are housed within the members 21 (as in conventional jam cleats) and are therefore not seen in the drawings. A mainsheet 25 can be secured between the members 21 in a conventional manner whereupon the members 21 take "up a position (indicated in part by dotted lines 21') wherein the spring bias urges the teeth 24 into the mainsheet 25 and secures it against a pull in the direction of the arrow 26.

The cleat plate 23 is hinged to a hinge rod 27 jour nailed in a supporting base plate 28. The oleat assembly may be screwed in position on a sailing boat by suitable screws (not shown) passing through the base plate 28. The hinge rod 27 is actually received in slots 29 provided in upstanding lugs 3t) of the base plate 28. Thus the hinge rod 27 and the slots 29' comprise hinge means which permit the cleat plate 23 to slide to a limited extent relative to the securing base plate 28, such sliding being effected by the pull in the mainsheet 25 and being normally prevented by a trigger mechanism to be described hereinafter. When the cleat plate 23 is in its normal position as illustrated, a lip 31 on the securing base plate 28 prevents the clcat plate 23 from tilting about the hinge rod 27.

The trigger mechanism normally preventing sliding of the cleat plate 23 comprises a trigger lever 35 secured to a pivot 36 journalled in the lugs 30. Two small pins 37 are secured in the pivot 36 and normally engage the front edge of the cleat plate 23, as can be seen in FIG. 2, to prevent sliding of the cleat plate. A trigger element 38 is pivoted to the outer end of the trigger lever 35 and is provided with a notch 39 which can receive a projection 4i) formed on the securing base plate 28, as is clear- 13 shown in FIG. 4. The element 33 is provided with an abutment 41 which serves for engagement by a weighted lever 42. The weighted lever 42 is journalled at 4-3 to upstanding lugs 44 of the securing base plate 23 and is provided with a counter weight 45. The weighted lever 42 is normally in the angular position illustrated which position is determined by an adjustable stop screw 46. The position of the screw 46 predetermines the angle through which the cleat assembly as illustrated may be tilted clockwise before the counter weight 4-5 falls over the pivot 43, i.e. the amount of heel of the sailing boat which may take place before the weighted lever falls. Upon this occurring the lower end 47 of the lever 42, moving to the position indicated in FIG. 4 at 4-7, strikes the abutment 41 to release the notch 39 from the projection 40. The released position of the trigger element is shown in FIG. 4 at 38'. The engagement of the notch 39 in the trigger element 38 about the projection 40 restrains the lever 35 from movement clockwise (FIG. 2) under the influence of the clockwise moment applied thereto by the pull of the mainsheet 25 acting through the cleat plate 23 and the pins 37. This retains the cleat plate 23 in its normal position illustrated. Upon the trigger element 38 being released (by the weight 45 falling or otherwise) the pull of the mainsheet turns the trigger lever 3:": clockwise (FIG. 2) so that the cleat plate 23 can slide over the pins 37 whereupon the cleat plate 23 is released from the lip 31 and can tilt about the hinge rod 27 enabling the mainsheet to pull itself out of the jam cleat.

When the illustrated cleat assembly is installed in a sailing boat, should a gust of wind cause the sailing boat to heel over too far, i.e. beyond the predetermined angle set by the screw 46, the Weight 45 automatically falls and releases the mainsheet 25.

It will be seen that in the described embodiments of cleat assembly the effort required to release the cleat is minimised or at least reduced and that it is possible to effect the release from any direction derived by a pull on the trigger. In addition the danger of capsizing the vessel can be reduced by the automatic release of the rope if a capsize should become imminent.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A cleat assembly for securing a rope such as the mainsheet of a sailing vessel, comprising jam cleat means including a cleat plate and a pair of rope-engageing members on said cleat plate, at least one of said members being rotatable relatively to said cleat plate about an axis perpendicular thereto and having an eccentric rope-engaging surface which approaches the other of said members during such rotation to secure a rope against pull in one direction, a base plate adapted to be secured in suitable position on the sailing vessel, hinge means hinging said cleat plate to said base plate about an axis transverse to said one direction so that said pull of said rope tends to tilt said cleat plate about said axis, and a trigger mechanism for normally holding said plates together against said pull.

2. A cleat assembly for securing a rope such as a mainsheet of a sailing vessel comprising jam cleat means including a cleat plate and a pair of rope-engaging members on said cleat plate, at least one of said members being rotatable relatively to said cleat plate about an axis perpendicular thereto and having an eccentric ropeengaging surface which approaches the other of said members during such rotation to secure a rope against pull in one direction, a base plate adapted to be secured in suitable position on the sailing vessel, hinge means hinging said cleat plate to said base plate about an axis transverse to said one direction so that said pull of said rope tends to tilt said cleat plate about said axis, a trigger mechanism for normally holding said plates together against said pull and means for actuating said trigger mechanism, said last mentioned means including a weighted lever adapted to fall when a predetermined angle of tilt of the cleat assembly is attained.

3. The cleat assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said trigger mechanism comprises a trigger pivoted to one of said plates, said trigger being provided with projection means adapted for engaging said other of said plates to hold said plates together.

4. The cleat assembly, as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a weighted lever hinged to said trigger for automatically actuating said trigger when the cleat assembly is tilted beyond a predetermined angle.

5. A cleat assembly for securing a rope such as a mainsheet of a sailing vessel comprising jam cleat means including a cleat plate, a base plate adapted to be secured in a suitable position on said sailing vessel, means hinging said cleat plate to said base plate, said hinging means permitting limited relative sliding between said cleat plate and said base plate from a normal position to a release position, means preventing hinging of said plates about said hinge means when said plates are in said normal relative position, and trigger means for maintaining said plates in said normal relative position.

6. The cleat assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said trigger mechanism comprises a pivot journalled in one of said plates, means on said pivot for engaging the other of said plates to retain said plates in said normal relative position, a trigger lever secured to said pivot and a trigger element operative to retain said trigger lever and said pivot in position to retain said plates in said normal relative position.

7. The cleat assembly, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said trigger element is pivoted to said trigger lever and is provided with means releasably engageable with the base plate.

8. A cleat assembly for securing a mainsheet of a sailing vessel comprising jam cleat means including a cleat plate and adapted to secure the mainsheet against pull in one direction, a base plate adapted to be secured in suitable position on the sailing vessel, hinge means hinging said cleat plate to said base plate about an axis transverse to said one direction and such that said pull tends to swing said cleat plate about said axis, said hinge means permitting said cleat plate to slide relatively to said base plate from a normal position to a release position, means preventing said swinging of said cleat plate when in said normal position, a pivot journalled in said base plate, means on said pivot offset from its axis for engaging said cleat plate to retain it in said normal position against said pull, said pull thereby tending to turn said pivot from a normal position, a trigger lever on said pivot, a trigger element operative between the outer end of said trigger lever and said base plate for retaining said trigger lever and said pivot in said normal position, a weighted lever having a normal angular position and capable of falling when the cleat assembly is tilted beyond a predetermined angle, said weighted lever being adapted to engage said trigger element to release said trigger element when it falls upon said tilting beyond a predetermined angle.

9. The cleat assembly, as set forth in claim 8, including means for adjustably pre-setting said normal angular position of said weighted lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 14,758 Applegate Apr. 29, 1856 251,153 Allderdice Dec. 20, 1881 678,798 Stretch July 16, 1901 975,958 Johnson Nov. 15, 1910 1,627,728 Conldin May 10, 1927 2,623,255 Thomsen Dec. 30, 1952 

1. A CLEAT ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING A ROPE SUCH AS THE MAINSHEET OF A SAILING VESSEL, COMPRISING JAM CLEAT MEANS INCLUDING A CLEAT PLATE AND A PAIR OF ROPE-ENGAGEING MEMBERS ON SAID CLEAT PLATE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVELY TO SAID CLEAT PLATE ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR THERETO AND HAVING AN ECCENTRIC ROPE-ENGAGING SURFACE WHICH APPROACHES THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS DURING SUCH ROTATION TO SECURE A 